Gaming is an increasingly popular industry, with casinos and other gaming establishments continually seeking new and exciting ways to present games for play. Many games are generally presented on large free-standing gaming devices, such as the well known slot machines, video poker machines and the like. Other games can be presented at something other than a gaming device, such as the table games of craps, blackjack and roulette. In addition, games such as keno and bingo may be played in areas specially configured to present the game to players (e.g., at areas where personnel pick up keno cards and called numbers are displayed on large displays).
A substantial disadvantage to the way such games are currently presented is that a player may participate in a particular game only at certain specified locations and/or on specific gaming machines or tables. For example, in order to play video poker or a particular slots game, such as “Red White and Blue,” a player may be required to travel through a large hotel and/or casino to a specific gaming area where an actual video poker or “Red White and Blue” gaming machine is located.
Casinos and other gaming operators generally desire to provide to their customers greater accessibility to gaming devices and the opportunity to play games, however, such that improved availability and convenience in gaming is desired. To this end parent U.S. Pat. No. 6,628,939 and patent application Ser. Nos. 10/672,307 and 10/871,876 address systems and methods for providing games on a wireless game player, such as a hand-held “Personal Gaming Device” (“PGD”). Of course, added issues can arise whenever players are permitted to engage in gaming events from mobile and/or remote locations, such as through the use of such a PGD. Security for any casino owned PGDs, increased fraud prevention, flexibility in PGD use, and player authentication and verification are only a few examples of such added issues.
While existing systems and methods for providing mobile gaming devices and appropriate supporting gaming systems have been adequate, improvements are usually welcomed and encouraged. In light of the foregoing, it is desirable to develop more detailed methods and systems that provide for improved functionality in mobile gaming involving PGDs, and in particular for such methods and systems to include enhanced security and player authentication features while remaining at similar or better levels of flexibility.